A couple of years ago I wrote a short piece detailing some of the reasons I enjoyed whiskey. I don’t recall all of what I wrote then, but there is something about it that I don’t think I touched on, that I’d like to talk about now.
Whiskey, like many things, requires a certain concentration to really enjoy, a certain slow focused mindset. Of course there are those who drink quickly and with no appreciation for the thing they’re consuming, but those like me, those like certain of my friends, drink whiskey intentionally, and enjoy it — for its taste, for its colour, and especially for its propensity to bring people together and encourage conversation. These days it is one of my greatest simple pleasures to sit down with a few trusted friends and a glass of good whiskey, for no other purpose than to be together. There need be no agenda, no plan, no motive outside getting to know one another’s minds more fully. An evening where such an adventure is undertaken is one I am all too happy to be a part of.
One of my friends here in Arkansas happens to be quite interested in whiskey — its history, its taste, the bottles in which it lives. His name is Andrew, and recently he and I sat down and chatted about this fascinating subject, and made some photos together. I’d wanted to do a shoot like this for some time, and finally having had the chance, I am grateful for what the experience was as well as the results I got. I hope you enjoy these photos, and that they give you a new appreciation for whiskey — not merely for what it is as a drink, but for what it can be as a catalyst.
love,
— Joel
Geeky Things
Camera: Fuji X-Pro2
Lenses: Fuji 16mm f/1.4 & Fuji 90mm f/2
Location: Lockhart’s dining room
Processor: Capture One 20
Notes: The origin of the idea for this shoot actually came from someone I used to follow on Instagram. I don’t know recall his name, but I remember being fond of his photos, and seeing some he made with a friend of his who crafted whiskey glasses in the shape of golf balls. They were shot at quite a wide focal length, and I knew as soon as I saw them that I wanted to do a shoot like that someday. Lo! and behold, it has now come to pass!